Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 354: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTIEMLSS. laughing in his turn. can soon rectify it.” “To be sure !” cried Parks, taking up his pen. “But stop a moment! Business is. business, you know. Don’t consider yourselves insulted — it’s only a professional precaution that I am just going to adopt :’’—and he rang the bell. The clerk who had witnessed the deeds on the preceding day, answered the summons. “ Mr. Moss,” said the lawyer, “ take a cab at once, and be off to the bankers. They have got my pass-book. Just request them to make it up to the latest moment; and bring it along with you a3 quick as ever you can.” Mr. Moss bowed and retired. “The cheque may have been presented, you know,’ continued Mr. Parks when the clerk had withdrawn ; “ and we must just see that the affair is all right and straightforward. I am sorry that Mrs. Parks is not at home at the moment ; but you can walk up into the drawing-room and wait till Moss returns. I will let you know the instant he comes back.” * Mr. Parks,” I said, with the colour mantling upon my cheek, “ you cannot for an instant sup- pose that I am capable of obtaining money on one cheque, and then coming to defraud you of another ?” “ Mr. Parks is right, my dear Ellen, in adopt- ing his precautions,” interjected my father: “ it is all consistent with business-habits — the more especially as the sum is a large one.” “IT beg Mr. Parks’s forgiveness,” I said, in a tone of renewed courtesy, “if my observation were offensive.” “ Oh, I forgive you, Hilen !” he exclaimed, with a cheerful laugh : “ your sex understands nothing of business. But pray go to the drawing-room, You will have about an hour and a half to wait; and I will presently send you up luncheon.” My father and wyself accordingly ascended to the drawing-room,—both of us being thoroughly convinced that the circumstance which had so alarmed and excited us, was an error after all, and that it would be presently rectified. Nearly two hours elapsed,— at the expiration of which period we heard a vehicle stop at the house ; and my father, hastening to the window, announced that Mr. Moss had returned. Two or three minutes afterwards Mr. Parks came up into the drawing- room, with his banker’s book open in his hand. *‘ By Jove, this is serious!” he exclaimed, shut- ting the door behind him. “The cheque has been presented and paid, Here it is, you see—the very last entry !” “ Good heavens!” I exclaimed. this possible? I declare to you, Mr. Parks “ Ah! how zs it possible ?” ejaculated the law- yer: and methought that there was a certain irony in his tone as well as a suspicious gleaming in his looks. “ Here is the name sure enough ! ‘fillen Percy’— with the amount duly entered. And by the bye, Mr. Moss has just told me that one of the clerks at the bank casually mentioned to him that this last cheque was presented by a lady closely veiled, the very moment the doors of the bank opened this morning.” “ Some terrible fraud has been perpetrated !” I exclaimed, infinitely excited and indignant. “A fraud ?” exclaimed my father furiously : * But how is >”? 341 “ But as I observed, you|“yes—and of a most mysterious description ! Would you be kind enough to let me look at the entry in your book, Mr. Parks ?” “ Certainly,” answered the lawyer, whose man- ner was now to all appearance cold and suspici- ous. “Why, what is this?” cried my father in asto- nishment, as he glanced at the book which Mr. Parks handed him. “The entry is, ‘ Hllen Percy —3,0007,’ ” “Ah!” I ejaculated, as an idea of treachery at once smote me. Well,” said Parks, with the most remarkable coolness, “and pray what ought the entry to be P” My father gazed upon him for nearly a minute in wingled astonishment and consternation, as if he could scarcely satisfy himself that the scene he beheld enacting before him was a real one—and as if he were equally at a loss to comprehend the attorney’s drift. “Well,” said Parks, with an effrontery which was perfectly astounding, “and pray what the deuce does all this mean ?” “Tt is not, sir, of the cheque for 3,000, that I and my daughter have been speaking: for this cheque was never supposed to have been drawn for presentation at all. It is another cheque, sir,’ added my father emphatically, — “another cheque a “ Another cheque?” said Parks, as if smitten with amazement. “TI don’t understand you.” “Good God!” cried my father: “is it pos. sible————” “ Now I tell you what it is, Mr. Percey—Croft—. Forsyth~-or whatever name you choose to call yourself by,” interjected Parks, with an insolent tone, brow-beating look, and blustering manner, “it is pretty clear you have come to play off your tricks upon me: but if won’t do. And as for you, Ellen—I am ashamed of you!” “Mr. Parks,” I said, advancing straight up to him, while the blood glowed and burnt upon my cheeks and [I felt that my eyes were flashing fire, “you are a villain—and in your heart you know it!” “Tt’s lucky for you that you are a woman and not a man,” said the lawyer, turning very pale, and retreating a pace or two, as if he really thought that I should attack him. “But you had better take care how you use harsh names.” “ Forger!” I ejaculated, unable to restrain my- self. “ Daughter of a forger!” exclaimed Parks, but at the same time springing behind the centres table of the drawing-room: so as to place it be- twixt himself on the one side and myself and father on the other. But he had no need to be afraid of me at that instant ; for I was powerless to harm him: I had been stricken a sudden blow—my heart was smit- ten with the direst affliction. I felt that by yield- ing to a paroxysm of rage, I had evoked the taunt which rebounded so terribly upon the head of my parent. “ Father,” I said, in a voice that was low and tremulous with a sense of utter humiliation on my own account, and of commiseration on his, “ for- giveme! It is my fault that this bad man should be enabled to insult you !” ES SS Feces. vem Com Gboo <S) Com